Hot this week – Mother’s Day edition

This week is all about honouring our mothers and expressing our love and gratitude for all they have done for us. So forget the flowers and chocolates, it’s the things you do together that will be remembered the most. Here are some ideas to treat your mom to the best day ever…

Thermëa

Open daily
775 Crescent Drive, Winnipeg

Wouldn’t a day spent with mom at a luxurious spa be just the ticket? Your mom will experience relaxation in a whole new way when you both escape to Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature. No reservations are required for the thermal experience, but you can make a reservation to enjoy a massage or face or body treatment. There is also a restaurant onsite, so you can take a break from all that relaxing to enjoy a meal or sip a glass of wine.

Narcisse snake pits

Open daily
Narcisse

If you take your mom to the snake pits this week, she might say to you: “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” Just tell her because Mother’s Day is the absolute best time of year to see this wild phenomenon. Spring is a hotbed of activity in Narcisse where you will find the largest gathering of snakes anywhere in the world.

Watching tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes at the snake dens came in at number five on our list of Top 10 wildlife encounters.

International Peace Garden

May 10
International Peace Garden, Boissevain

Spend a day with your lovely mom at the International Peace Garden. Enjoy a buffet lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Admission to the garden is FREE.

Carnival of the Animals by the WSO

May 10
Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg

Your whole family is invited to the WSO’s Carnival of the Animals, a wild tale that will transform the concert hall into a magical universe where lions, kangaroos and elephants come to life. This musical romp with L’Arsenal à Musique combines theatre, circus, multimedia, and special effects to create an odyssey of sound and visuals that introduces young audiences to a classical composition.

Fascinator High Tea

May 9
McLeod House, Stonewall

Put on your fancy gloves, pearls, best dress and top it off with your fanciest fascinator to enjoy high tea at McLeod House. This high tea is served on a three-tiered tray and consists of fruit cup, party sandwiches, hot hors d’Oeuvres, scones and dainties. Prizes awarded for most creative fascinator! Reservations required.

Mother’s Day tea and plant sale

May 10
Canadian Mennonite University North Campus, Winnipeg

Reserve your spot to sit down with mom to partake in some delicious conversation and a fine cup at Gardens Manitoba’s Mother’s Day Tea. Shop for some great potted treats at their huge plant sale happening at the same time.

Olympus

Apr 26, 2015 to Apr 17, 2016
Winnipeg Art Gallery

Take the entire brood to see the famous families of ancient Greece and Rome at Olympus. Spanning almost 10 centuries of artistic production, this extraordinary collection features over 160 ancient treasures including statues, vases and jewelry.

Fishing season

Photo by Alana Elliott.

May 9: Southern Division
May 16: Northern Division

For those cool mom’s who love to fish, Manitoba’s fishing season opens May 9! Open water season can’t start soon enough for all of our anglers who are itching to hit our fully stocked lakes and rivers. Are you ready to get hooked? That Master Angler fish is waiting…

Hike up to Grand Beach

May 9
Grand Beach

Enjoy an all-day hike along the eastern shoreline of Lake Winnipeg on the Trans Canada Trail, from the southern lake shore communities to Grand Beach.

Manitoba Day celebration

May 9 | 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg

Celebrate our 145th anniversary at The Manitoba Museum! Festivities will include Manitoba-themed events, activities, a cake contest and FREE admission to the Museum Galleries, Science Gallery and Planetarium. You can also see the newly opened Discovery Room exhibit called Trade; Materials and Ideas in Transition, which features fur trade materials from HBC and Archaeology collections and looks at the history of the fur trade in Manitoba.

Mary Poppins

May 7 to 10
Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, Brandon

Be enchanted by the whimsical songs and playful performances of Mary Poppins in Brandon! This classic tale will provide a huge spoonful of sugary goodness for the whole family. It’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Alice in Wonderland

May 8 to 9
William Glesby Centre, Portage la Prairie

Go down the rabbit hole and experience the magical world of Alice in Wonderland! Alice, played by 9 year old local actress, Jessica Ramachandran, enters a fantasy world populated by a peculiar cast of odd-ball characters who help bring the original novels, by Lewis Carrol, to life on the grand stage.

Assiniboine Park Zoo

Open daily
Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg

Monkeys and polar bears and leopards, oh my! Say hello to all the beautiful wild animals at Assiniboine Park Zoo. The Zoo has over 80 park-like acres for you to explore and interact with wildlife species from around the world.

Canadian Museum For Human Rights

Photo by Aaron Cohen / CMHR.

Open Tuesday to Sunday
The Forks

Contemplate inspring stories of struggle and triumph at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This new national museum strives to create inspiring encounters with human rights, by engaging you in an immersive, interactive experience that offers both the inspiration and tools to make a difference in the lives of others.

International Migratory Bird Day

May 9
Oak Hammock Marsh

Head out to one of the best areas in North America to watch migratory birds and celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! See songbirds up close by participating in bird banding or join a warbler workshop.

Clever Little Lies at MTC

Apr 23 to May 16
John Hirsch Mainstage, Winnipeg

Catch a fast and funny show about the lives of a family with an abundance of secrets at Clever Little Lies! Overwhelmed by the stresses of work and a new baby, Billy cracks under the pressure and makes an alarming confession to his father. Sensing trouble, his intuitive mother Alice invites the whole family over in an attempt to intervene.

Hermetic Code Tour

Wednesday evenings from May 6 to Oct 14
Manitoba Legislative Building

Sign up for an unforgettable evening of magic, mystery and architectural wonder on the Hermetic Code Tour. The charismatic Frank Albo, researcher and inspiration behind the bestseller The Hermetic Code, will take you along a step-by-step tour to reveal a trail of occult clues concealed in the building’s architecture including: hidden hieroglyphic inscriptions, numerological codes, and Freemasonic symbols so intelligently masked they have escaped historians and visitors for nearly a hundred years! This is part of the Canadian Signature Experience collection.

Got a tip for a future Hot this week? Send us your suggestion and it might just make the list! Comment below or tweet us @travelmanitoba.